Bram Stoker and the Stage

Though best known as the author of Dracula (1897) Bram Stoker was an important figure in the theatre, first as a revered critic in Dublin and then as Henry Irving’s business manager at the Lyceum Theatre, London.

This collection brings together Stoker’s theatrical reviews from Dublin’s Evening Mail, his published essays and interviews on the theatre, selections from Reminiscences of Henry Irving (1906) and one fictional work on the theatre: Snowbound: The Record of a Theatrical Company (1908). The reviews provide important information on the social milieu of Victorian Dublin as well as allowing insights into Stoker’s early views on politics and sexual proprieties. The material from his time in London reveals his detailed knowledge of all aspects of the theatre and documents his relationships with Irving and Ellen Terry, who arrived at the Lyceum at the same time.

This critical edition contains an introduction on Stoker and the theatre, extensive notes on the texts included and an index. It will be of interest to scholars of literature, theatre history, Victorian society and cultural studies.

Volume 1: Theatrical Reviews

General Introduction

Introduction to Volume 1

Bibliography

Biographical Glossary

A Note on the Texts

Reviews: 1871–1877

Appendix

Volume 2: Theatrical Reminiscences, Theatrical Essays, Theatrical Fiction

Introduction to Volume 2

Bibliography

A Note on the Texts

Part I: Theatrical Reminiscences
Extracts from Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving (1906), vols 1 and 2

Part II: Theatrical Essays
‘Actor-Managers’ (1890)
‘Recollections of the Late W G Wills’ (1891)
‘Dramatic Criticism’ (1894)
‘The Art of Ellen Terry’ (1901)
‘The Question of a National Theatre’ (1908)
‘Americans as Actors’ (1909)
‘Dead-Heads’ (1909)
‘The Censorship of Stage Plays’ (1909)
‘Irving and Stage Lighting’ (1911)

Part III: Theatrical Fiction
Snowbound: The Record of a Theatrical Touring Party
Index